- Mayor Andy Schor announced a grant of $8 million dollars for EV-chargers in Lansing
- Up to 50 chargers are planned to spread across our neighborhoods
- Grant dollars will also be used for planning and developing initiatives, and public education of EV technology
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Are you looking to buy an electric vehicle? Well, with an announcement made Friday, charging stations will be more accessible throughout the Lansing area.
On Friday morning, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, accompanied by the CEO of Lansing Board of Water and Light Dick Peffley, and Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, announced a grant of $8 million, increasing electric vehicle charging stations throughout the Greater Lansing area.
Grant dollars will also be used for planning and developing initiatives, and public education of EV technology.
According to Mayor Andy Schor, this is all part of a plan to create a synergy between EV production and EV infrastructure in our neighborhoods.
"This is coming, we're making the batteries here, we're expecting to make the cars here," Schor explained. "So when you have that car that can drive three, four-hundred miles, if someone comes to Lansing they need to be able to charge."
He added that Lansing beat out several communities to receive this grant. According to Bhatt, the city was chosen, in large part, due to its distribution plan.
Speaking to Shailen Bhatt, he said, "Lansing just told a really compelling story about how they would effectively deploy these for maximum benefit for the community."
This initiative is a massive undertaking for Lansing, however, Peffley says that his team is ready to roll.
"It does require some upgrading of lines, because you're drawing more energy in areas that didn't used to see electric loads," Peffley said. "But we're ready for that."
BWL's Carbon Neutrality Programs Manager, Anna Munie, is excited about this EV-charging initiative, and knows the benefits of owning an electric vehicle on a personal level.
Munie told us, "They are fun to drive, they're fast, they have a lot of great technology, and they're just really kind of that next generation in technology that I think everyone is going to be very excited about once they get the chance to drive one."
I spoke with Bhatt, who told me it'll be at least six months until we see these charges becoming a widespread reality in our neighborhoods.
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